Beale Park Team

Apache canoes are built by people who are both passionate about paddling and expert in the field of composite construction. Made by craftsmen for individuals, each canoe is optimised for performance, length, weight and construction materials; making it perfect for its new owner’s style of paddling. You can visit the team at this year’s show and in the meantime you can see more at: http://apachecanoes.com/

Water Craft’s AMATEUR BOAT BUILDING AWARDS have been a feature of June’s Beale Park Boat & Outdoor Show for so long now we’ve lost count of the number and variety of home-built boats entered, from kayaks to cruising yachts, skiffs to steam launches. For 2018, every invited entrant … yes, every… will receive product vouchers from ABBA sponsors, Robbins Timber and WEST System International and there will be special prizes in several categories. There are three basic rules for entry: you’ll need to bring your boat to Beale Park on 30 May ( the show runs 1-3 June); boats must be built mainly in wood; and the builders must be genuine amateurs. For full details, see the January/February 2018 Water Craft.

It started as a silly idea: a weekend tournament for boats, any kind of boats under 16’ (5.3m), powered solely by cordless workshop power tools, racing against each other at the Beale Park Boat & Outdoor Show. And funnily enough, over the past 5 years the silly idea has become more serious with some boats now purpose-designed and built for the Cordless Canoe Challenge (CCC) – maybe that’s down to the great power tool prizes from sponsors Makita UK. For 2018, we’ll have:

ON THE SATURDAY MORNING:
The Scratch Class with shortish races around the buoys for entries using ‘unadulterated’ production hulls driven by any cordless tools with a combined total of no more than 18 volts of battery power. And the winners also get to compete with the big boys…

ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON:
In the Custom Class, racing twice round a 600m course with buoys to negotiate, against the previous CCC champions who have designed and built their own sleek racing machines with no limits on the number or power of the cordless tools driving them.

THEN ALL DAY SUNDAY:
In the Cordless Blue Riband, the challengers race not against each other but against the clock, to beat the World Speed Record for Cordless Canoes, set last year by Dennis Adcock in his little 8′ (2.4m) cat propelled by two Makita 18 volt brushless drills – pictured above – at an astonishing 10.32mph!

CAN YOU BEAT OUR WORLD RECORD?
For the full CCC 2018 rules, see the November/December issue of Water Craft or go to: www.watercraft-magazine.com where you’ll also find videos of our previous CCC tournaments.

Vintage cars, bikes, buses and traction engines with the added attraction of boats and water! Great vehicles, great food, great attractions, great facilities and great people… what more can anyone ask for!

The emphasis will be on a relaxed family atmosphere with the opportunity for vehicle owners to mingle and share stories with boat owners and enthusiasts, along with other petrol heads.

The involvement of groups coming as, and representing a club or marque are welcome, as well as those owner/driver individuals. With stalls, entertainment, a central show arena and much more get yourself booked in for this great weekend! There will be a central parade area and prizes to be handed out in various categories.

An opportunity for owners to enjoy a trip out in a vintage boat on the lake is something not available at other events and should make the 2018 Vintage Vehicle Show at Beale Park a must for your diary.

With free admission for pre-war vehicles (ticket required from the link below) and excellent prices for all other vintage vehicles, there is every reason to give this weekend a try.

The Thames Vintage Boat Club was founded at Old Windsor in March 1983 to provide a club and forum for all types of traditionally built craft; to seek to encourage their restoration, maintenance, and above all, their use, and also to produce and maintain an historical record of all traditional craft on the river Thames. See more at http://www.thamesvintageboatclub.com/

There will be another wonderful display of boats from club members at Beale Park in 2018.

For the past few years the HBBR group have rowed/paddled/motored along the Thames from Lechlade to Beale Park, arriving around lunchtime Friday. We are pleased to announce they are back this year – for more fun on the lake!

Lots of things to do on and around the lake: take out a canoe, hold a tarantula, meet the Newfoundland dogs, have a go at Archery and so much more! All under 17s get free access… book your tickets here: https://thelittleboxoffice.com/bealeparkboatshow/

When Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding launched its stylish open day boat, the Duchy 21, at last year’s Southampton Boat Show, the Cornish boatbuilder received a number of commissions.

Having recently delivered its third to the Norfolk Broads, Cockwells now turns its attention to the Berkshire area and is delighted to be showcasing the Duchy 21 at the Beale Park Boat & Outdoor Show, which takes place between 2 and 4 June.

Duchy Motor Launches are classically-designed, handcrafted, semi-production vessels that are created in the Duchy of Cornwall by Cockwells’ skilled craftsmen whose design flair, expertise and exacting standards are second-to-none. This model is the second in Cockwells’ Duchy Motor Launch series, following the success of its flagship, the popular Duchy 27. The Duchy 21 reached the finals of this year’s Classic Boat awards.

With her ample cockpit space for up to ten guests, the Duchy 21 has been created specifically for spending quality time on the water with friends and family, and offers the perfect platform for cruising and relaxing; for day trips and picnics. Waterproof cushions can be added to create a forward double sunbed. The sunbed can be converted into a spacious overnight double berth or a fully-enclosed cockpit when skies turn grey with ingenious sprayhoods that have been deftly engineered to disappear when not in use to preserve the Duchy 21’s sleek appearance.

“We provide the elegantly designed, low maintenance composite hull and you customise it your way,” explains Founder and Managing Director, Dave Cockwell. “If you are after the polished styling and relaxed handling of a custom build without the high-end price tag, there is no better boat on the market. From custom-made stainless steel fittings and choice of timber for the interior joinery to the colour of the upholstery fabric, we go through every detail with you to ensure that your Duchy 21 is exactly how you want it to be – a classic launch for a modern world that chimes perfectly with your way of life.”

Built in low-maintenance composites and powered by either diesel engine or electric motor, the highly versatile Duchy 21 is a capable sea-going boat that is also ideal for Thames boaters. She can be towed on a road trailer and launched almost anywhere – on the river, at the coast, or on a lake.

If you would like to view the Duchy 21 for yourself, pop along to Beale Park Boat & Outdoor Show and visit Gillian Nahum of Henley Sales & Charter Ltd, who is representing Cockwells at the event. Gillian can be contacted on 0781 391 7730. For further information about Duchy Motor Launches, visit http://cockwells.co.uk/duchy-launches/the-fleet/duchy-21/